The real mystery of Star Trek...Who Took Care of Butler?!

[tim0122]

Kirk's off gallivanting across the universe sleeping with women, making speeches, and pausing in mid-sentence, and there's his poor, adorable dog Butler (EDIT: Sorry for mistyping his name in the topic title. Is there a way to change that?) sitting at home without his pappa. Didn't seem like Kirk got or wanted much vacation time. So, who took care of the most important Trek character of all time while Kirk was away?

In a more serious question, is his dog even mentioned in the novels beyond Generations?

 

[The Wormhole]

I thought the implication was Kirk had Butler during a period he was retired from Starfleet? It should also be noted, between TMP and TWOK Kirk got assigned to Starfleet Academy on Earth, giving ample time to look after a dog while still in active service.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Perhaps he'd been cryogenically preserved. Not everyone would do it (Kathryn Janeway's Mollie wasn't) but I'm sure some people would make use of that option, particularly deep space explorers.

 

[tim0122]

I thought the implication was Kirk had Butler during a period he was retired from Starfleet? It should also be noted, between TMP and TWOK Kirk got assigned to Starfleet Academy on Earth, giving ample time to look after a dog while still in active service.

I'm sure Kirk had Butler partially during his time doing a desk job as Admiral between the events of TOS ending and TMP beginning. And being stationed on Earth to help train cadets and such would've helped him have time for a dog.

But in Generations, Kirk tells Picard that Butler's been dead for seven years (from Kirk's POV, obviously). That has him dying around the time of Star Trek V, which means Kirk would've been dog free by the time he started as captain of the Enterprise A. So, I guess he could've been home based most of the time (except for during the time of the first four films). Though, I don't know how many adventures he went on helping the refit Enterprise between TMP and WoK. Realistically, I can't see it being many since he was an admiral, but the end of TMP implies he and the crew are off for more adventures.

 

[CommanderTrip]

IIRC, it was either Antonia, Carol Marcus, or the ECH - Emergency Canine Hologram.

Knowing Kirk was quite the ladies man, I imagine it was one of the former two over the latter option.

 

[Dukhat]

I'm sure Kirk had Butler partially during his time doing a desk job as Admiral between the events of TOS ending and TMP beginning. And being stationed on Earth to help train cadets and such would've helped him have time for a dog.

That would have been 2269-71. The movie seems to heavily imply that Kirk's retirement happened after TUC in 2293. There's no way that dog is 20-something years old.

Edit: 2293-2270=23-7=16. If Butler died 7 years before 2293, he would have been 16 when he died. Great Danes live 8-10 years, at least in the 21st century. So this still doesn't work.

But in Generations, Kirk tells Picard that Butler's been dead for seven years (from Kirk's POV, obviously). That has him dying around the time of Star Trek V, which means Kirk would've been dog free by the time he started as captain of the Enterprise A. So, I guess he could've been home based most of the time (except for during the time of the first four films). Though, I don't know how many adventures he went on helping the refit Enterprise between TMP and WoK. Realistically, I can't see it being many since he was an admiral, but the end of TMP implies he and the crew are off for more adventures.

2293-7=2286. That's when TVH happened. So Butler would have died during the Whale Probe incident. If, as mentioned above, Great Danes live to be 8-10 years, then Butler would have been a puppy around 2276-78 (assuming Kirk got him as a puppy.)

(Memory Alpha correctly states that Butler died in 2286.)

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Yet another reason to throw GEN out of continuity. It throws Kirk's character history in the movie era all out of whack.

 

[RichMerk]

No one took care of Butler. He never existed. He was Kirk's imaginary dog in his imaginary Nexus "Happy Place". Just like Picard's imaginary Elizabethan Christmas house and family. None of those people were ever born or lived in reality. Well, except for Rene. The Nexus was a realm of the mind that sometimes mimicked reality in some ways, but was mostly just a dream world composed of whatever the dreamer wanted the most. For Kirk it was a cool cabin the mountains, a girl (possibly also just imaginary) that he loved, and a great big dog to be at his side while he chopped wood and climbed mountains.

At least that's how I always thought about it.

 

[kkt]

That makes a lot more sense than a Starfleet officer often away from earth for multiple years at a time having a dog at home.

 

[DonIago]

Maybe Kirk kept Butler in stasis when he was away.

 

[David cgc]

Maybe that's part of the reason Kirk was in a funk at the beginning of TWOK. Not only was he getting older while in a desk job, his dog had just died (going by the movies themselves where TWOK-TFF all take place within a few months, and not the chronology version where they take place over a few years).

 

[The Wormhole]

"Damn it Jim, other people have birthdays, why are we treating yours like a funeral?"
"We never did have a funeral for Butler."
"Good god..."

 

[Nerys Myk]

Butler is a trans-canine and can take care of himself.

 

[Victoria]

"Damn it Jim, other people have birthdays, why are we treating yours like a funeral?"
"We never did have a funeral for Butler."
"Good dog..."

FTFY...

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Maybe Kirk kept Butler in stasis when he was away.

Get Butler into the transporter buffer!

 

[Farscape One]

That would have been 2269-71. The movie seems to heavily imply that Kirk's retirement happened after TUC in 2293. There's no way that dog is 20-something years old.

Edit: 2293-2270=23-7=16. If Butler died 7 years before 2293, he would have been 16 when he died. Great Danes live 8-10 years, at least in the 21st century. So this still doesn't work.



2293-7=2286. That's when TVH happened. So Butler would have died during the Whale Probe incident. If, as mentioned above, Great Danes live to be 8-10 years, then Butler would have been a puppy around 2276-78 (assuming Kirk got him as a puppy.)

(Memory Alpha correctly states that Butler died in 2286.)

Humans have a longer lifespan by the 23rd century. Why can't dogs? An extra 6 years is not a stretch, considering McCoy lived to be at least 137.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Synth-Dog. Button behind the ear to switch him off like Data.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It was basically Jurrasic Bark. Butler pined every day for Kirk and he never came home...

 

[Mudd]

Well, according to Memory Alpha:

Butler was James T. Kirk's pet dog, a Great Dane, whom he had at his house at least in 2284, and who died in 2286.

Upon being pulled into the extra-dimensional realm known as "the Nexus" in 2293, Kirk was able to experience a number of settings from his past, including being reunited with Butler. (Star Trek Generations)

 

[somebuddyX]

He died in a transporter accident.